Wall or ceiling covering



Aug. 14, 1945. U N I 2,382,456

WALL OR CEILING COVERING Filed March 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l 43 :35; WYQ/KA r INVENTOR 6 60m lrazm J BY. .96 -3 10 36 ;.@,.//M

ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 14, 1945. 1. F. URBAIN WALL OR CEILING COVERING Filed March 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mjwm.

@f M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALL R CEILING COVERING Leon F. Urbain, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 11, 1940, Serial No. 828,858

8Claims.

structure, and particularly does the inventionrelate to the installation of such units formed of acoustical tiles which, as is known in the art, are formed in various designs, shapes and sizes, composed of bagasse or other fibrous material,

wherein the tiles have marginal bevels on their front faces which, when the tiles are juxtaposed in assembled relation, provide intervening junctional channels or grooves.

In certain instances it has been proposed to assemble and install these tiles as a ceiling or wall structure by nailing the separate tiles into the subjacent supporting wall or ceiling, or into the plaster or into the furring thereon. In other instances installations have been made by gluing the tiles in assembled position on, the sublacent surfaces. In those installations where nails have been used for holding the bagasse tiles in position, the tiles have pulled downwardly with referenee to .the nails into a sagging position or the tiles have fallen completely from the ceiling or wall structure. In other types of installations the glu or adhesive has, in a number of instances, been ineffective to hold the tiles in position and they have sagged or dropped down and it has been necessary to re-tile the entire surfaces, or to re-nail the entire surfaces in order to repair or restore the wall or ceiling to uniformity of appearance and secure assembly.

In the present invention I provide means for assembling a ceiling or wall construction formed of individual units of acoustical tile or of units having other construction, which will securely and omamentally hold the units or tiles in assembled position either as a repair job or as an original installation and I have provided this way to secure a firmly supported unit construction as well as an ornamental one. In addition, the means I have provided also acts to prevent projeetion or breathing at the juncture between the individual tiles making up the installation and, therefore, the objects of the present invention are to provide means for accomplishing the foregoing advantages and results as well as to provide a simple type of supporting means formed of a plurality of standardized shapes adapted to be used in conjunction with standard acoustical tiles or other construction units for permanently installing various combinations and arrangements of the tiles to iit and cover various sizes and shapes of walls or ceilings; another object of the present invention is to provide assembly means for holding acoustical tiles and the like firmly in assembled position with respect to a subjacent wall or ceiling structure in a manner such thata defectiv installation can be remedied without removing any of the tiles from position on the wall structure; to provide means for installing a plurality of straight edge tiles mechanically without the use of adhesive or nails, or to consolidate the present installations which have been put up with adhesive or nails but which are falling down; to Provide a. system for firmly holding in position an installation oi unit tiles or the like wherein a series of holding devices are employed to overlie the marginal meeting surfaces of the units to hold the same in place and in a manner such that the presence of nails, bolts or other similar fastening means is not discemable in the completed installation to provide these and other Fig. 9 is a modification of the installation I shown in Fig. 1 wherein strips only are used for holding the assembly in place.

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view on line ll-ll of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a modified form of the assembly shown in Fig. 9 showing the use of staggered tiles and the manner in which the same are held in a central position.

Fig. 12 is a view of one of the clips used in holding the staggered arrangement in assembled pos tion.

Fig. 13 is a modification and assembly wherein a snap-on type of center clip is used for covering up nail or bolt holes which are used in the fastening strips.

Fig. 14 a view on line ll-ll of Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a view of one of the fastening strips used in the assembly shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 is one of the snap-on center clips shown in Fig. 13.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it is to be understood that the present invention relates to the installation of standard or nonstandard types of geometrical constructional shapes herein specifically illustrated as an acoustical tile which, in general, is formed of bagasse and which is utilized as a covering for wall or ceiling structures for buildings and the like. The acoustical tiles are generally formed at their margins with beveled surfaces in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 14 so that when the tiles are juxtaposed in assembled relation a system of V-shaped channels is provided which may be either symmetrically arranged as shown in Fig. 1, or may be in staggered arrangement, as shown in Fig. 11. It is to be understood that any type of shape or any type of tile or construction unit may be utilized if the same are characterized by certain constructional features which are inherently suitable or adaptable for use in connection with the fastening devices forming the subject matter of the present invention.

In general, where I refer herein to acoustical tile, it is to be understood that I am not specifically limited to acoustical tile, but that any type of constructional units may be utilized provided they are adaptable to use in connection with the present invention. In general the acoustical tile is adapted to be assembled to cover a wall or ceiling, adapted to be held firmly in assembled position on the wall or ceiling by means of a series of strips and fastening clips, some of the forms of which are shown in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive. Modifications of these clips may be utilized for forming further arrangements or assemblies of the acoustical tile.

Because of the nature of the present invention, it is peculiarly adaptable to installations which have been put on with adhesive or have been nailed on and wherein in the first instance the adhesive has crystallized and the tile has become loose, has sagged or fallen down. Since practically all of these acoustical materials are soft and porous in those installations where they have been held in place by nails, the nails have gone clearly through the acoustical tile so that the latter has come down over the heads of the nails and the tiles have fallen down and sagged.

It is to such installations, as well as to new installations, that the present invention is peculiarly adapted. Heretofore there had been no way known of patching up or re-fastening the tiles in position without removing all of the tiles and starting afresh. However, in the present instance, inasmuch asthe fastening means herein disclosed takes advantage of the V-groove formed at the marginal juncture of the variously assembled tiles, and wherein fastening means is utilized in connection with such V-groove which lies at the outer face of the tile when in a central position, whereby through the agency of the fastening means to hold the tile firmly in assembled position, it must be at once apparent that such defective installations can be immediately re-established and firmly re-assembled without removing any of the sagged or loose tiles from-the installation, but that, on the contrary, all of the tiles can be immediately and very quickly firmly re-united in assembled position in an economical, simple and expeditious manner.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I have shown at 2 any type of subjacent supporting means which may comprise rock lath, old plaster or furring strips and upon which the acoustical tile is adapted to be assembled for ornately covering the ceiling or wall support. The acoustical tile or construction units are indicated at 4 as being disposed in square formation with'their marginal edges in juxtaposition and held firmly in such positionby the various types of fastening means shown in Figs. 3 to 8, inclusive. Referring particularly to Figs. 3 to 8, it will be seen that Fig. 4 shows one of the many elongated strip fasteners, which strip fasteners 6 have a re-entrantly bent central portion I which extends longitudinally of the strip. On either side the sheet metal of the strip is provided with inwardly bent fianges I0, the marginal edges 12 of which project inwardly or, as shown in Fig. 4, upwardly. In Figs. 1 and 2 these strips are shown as extending along the sides of the square tiles 4 in position so as to overlie the marginal beveled walls l3 of each tile and, in this position, it will be noted by reference to Fig. 3, the re-entrant portion 8 of each strip 8 lies within the V-shaped channel l3 whereby each strip 6 is automatically positioned with respect to the juncture of two or more adjacent tiles. In Fig. 2 the strip to the left is shown as being one-half the width of the double width strip 6. This is because the particular tile shown in Fig. 2 is positioned at the outermost edge of the installation and therefore its single beveled portion is adapted to be overlaid with a single width of strip 6', whereas to the right hand side of Fig. 2 the double width strip 6 is adapted to overlie the double, or V-shaped channel lying between two adjacent tiles 4, as shown in cross section in Fig. 3 so that the oppositely and outwardly extending wall flanges 10 of the strip shown in Fig. 4 are adapted to be bent reentrantly toward the outer wall of the tile with the edges I2 thereof entering or digging into the front face of the acoustical tile 4 and sealing the junctions along such lines of contact. In this position clips of various construction are utilized for firmly holding the strip or strips in thus assembled position. For instance, at the end, the L-shaped clip I4 is utilized, the detail of which is shown in Fig. 6. This clip is provided with an aperture 16 at the junction of the two arms l8 and 20 which lie at a degree angle, or at right angles to each other, one leg of this right angle clip 14 overlying the strip 6' shown at the top, and the other leg, 20 of the clip overlying another strip 6' shown extending vertically in Fig. 2. The hole or opening it for this clip is adapted to receive a toggle bolt, nail or screw which passes through the clip and through the junction of the beveled edges of the two adjacent acoustical tiles and enters a furring strip or other subjacent support to hold the clip firmly in position and which clip, in turn, is adapted to firmly hold two adjacent strips in position.

At the juncture of the side strip 6 and the center clip 6 I provide an additional T-shaped clip 24. These clips are preferably composed of heavy sheet material. Fig. 5 shows the details of 15 construction of this clip which is composed of threeradially extending arms, the arms 20 being formed of single width, and the man being" formed. double, thwe, arms radlating'irom a center 38 which is pcrforated to a bolt. nail or other fastener. Thus a toggle bolt, screw or I nail is adapted to pass through the opening 88 of this clip, throughthe comer juncture of the two adjacent acoustical tiles and thenceintothe subjacent structure. The single arms of the clips are adapted to overlie a pair ofstrips 8', as shownin Fig. 2, in such a manner that the strips are capable of longitudinal adjustment to take up any variation in size either in the strips or in the size type of'installationwill be seen. In certain m-' ,stances-it i'spreferred to have installations where v width, the re-entrant central portion 52 is adaptthis T-shaped clip firmly in position.-

By reference to Fig. 13. still another modified no nail heads or bolt heads are observable. 7 Therefore, in order to accomplish this I have provided short clips 58 of the cross section shown in Fig.

of the acoustical tile. A nail or other fastener thus holds the ends of two adjacent strips in position. Similar T-shaped clips 24 are utilized 1 for the other junctures of this tile. These T- shaped strips are used at the very border line '15Wll5h bolt or wood screw holes 80. These clips 88 ,are provided at each of the corner intersections running in a single direction only and at the end sections and corner of the room sections.

, some instances where the tile is of a larger proportion than ordinary construction intermediate where a four-armed fastening clip is not neces- At the juncture of four adjacent or contiguous tiles, the clip 25 shown in detail in Fig. 7 is utilized. This clip has a central web or hub 82 provided with a central aperture 34 and from this central web four arms 38 radially extend outwardly, each formed to correspond ith the cross section of the strip 6 except that each one 01' these arms is made of suflicient dimensions so that it will overlie the strip in the manner shown in Fig. 3 in a manner such that the outer edge 88 of each arm 86 is adapted to dig into or make a sealing contact with the surface of the tile on opposite sides of the re-entrant portion 31 of the arm in the manner shown in Fig. 3. By reference to this latter figure, it will be seen that a toggle bolt 48 may be passed through the hole 34 of the center clip whence it can be forced through the material at the corner junction of four of these square tiles and will thence pass through the subjacent supporting means such as rock, lath, furring or old plaster and will be thence held in position, as shown in Fig. 3, so that in this manner four of these strips 8 and 6' will be held firmly in position by means of the L-shaped clip, two

T-shaped clips and one four-armed clip, in the manner shown in the central lower portion of Fig. 4, or, as shown in the central portion of Fig. 4, the central tile will be held in assembled position to the surrounding tiles by means of four double width strips 8 and four-armed clips 25.

The clip shown in Fig. 8 is a modification of the clip shown in Fig. 7 wherein the web portion between the various arms as shown at 42 is rounded; otherwise the clip is the same.

For those installations where ornateness or final appearance of the assembled structural tile wall or ceiling cover is not of utmost importance, the tiles may be held in position, in the manner shown in Fig. 9, by means of continuous, relatively long strips 48 which are provided at spaced points 48 with holes for the reception of nails, toggle bolts, or screws which pass through the junction of the tiles in the manner hereinbefore described to engage the furring or other subjacent support. In this type of construction no cross strips are necessary.

In the installation shown in Fig. 11, the tiles 4 are arranged in staggered formation and in order to provide for this an additional shape or design of clip is utilized, much along the lines of the type of clip shown in Fig. 5, the same being a T-shaped type of clip, except that the. upper portion of the clip is formed as a double width clip 58, in this manner only distinguishing from the clip shown in Fig. 5. By forming this portion 58 as a double clips may be used, as shown in the dotted lines at the bottom of the upper square l in Fig. 13. These clips 58 are provided with free ends substantially S-shaped in cross section, as shown at 82, whereby to form shoulders, 64 hereinafter described. These clips with the fastening means attached thereto are inserted through the juncture of two tile pieces into subjacent supporting means and are thus held permanently in position, after which an intermediate elongated strip 65 identical in function with the strip of Fig. 4, but of the cross section shown in Fig. 14, is installed in association with the clip 58. Each one of these strips 65 comprises an imperforate central web 68, the opposed free ends of which are provided with flanges 68 having free ends adapted to grip in the shoulder 84 of the clip 58, the imperforate part 88 closing the space between the free ends of this clip 58. In addition, corner clips 69 are provided of the construction shown in Fig. 16, the

same comprising a central web portion 12 and two or more arms radially projecting therefrom. In Fig. 16, four such arms are shown. Each arm comprises an outer lmperforate wall portion 14 having opposed, in-turned flanges 18, each formed with a bent-in toe portion 18. The cross sectional dimensions of these leg or arm portions of this clip are of larger dimensions than the corresponding cross section of the strips 65 so that the arms can overlie and snap into the shoulder portion 62 of the clip 58, as shown in Fig. 14. Thus each one of these clips will overlie the space between the elongated strips 65. The outer upper surfaces 82 of these clips make sealing contact with the front face of the tile to prevent breathing at these points.

In all of the various types of installation it will be apparent that these central clips and and clips permit of a longitudinal adjustment of elongated strip members 6 and 65 in the event that there is a variation in the marginal dimensions of a tile or in the longitudinal dimensions of the strips 6 and 65. By reference to Fig. 14 it will be noted that the curved surface 10 of the center clip is adapted to hide a head 84 of the bolt 86.

It will also be noted that in all of these tiles the clip members are provided with the overlying edge portions 38 and 82 which are adapted to make sealing contact with the front face of the tile at the gap between the ends of the elongated strips 6 and 65, respectively, whereby to prevent breathing between the spaces of the adjacent tiles. In other words, the edges II of the strips and the edges 38 of the clips form breathing stops. In short, when the clips are pulled up on the tile the edges- I2 and 38 bite into the tile and form the sealed breathing stop.

It must also be apparent that the various clips and strips are capable of special design for any type of installation to fit any type of geometric configuration desired in the acoustical tiles or other shaped constructional units.

It is to be understood that the type clip shown in Fig. 15 may be made with a number of legs or arms to conform to the type of shape shown in Figs. 4 to 8, inclusive.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a wall or ceiling structure for buildings, in combination with subjacent supporting means therefor, a plurality of covering units disposed with their margins in contacting relation for continuously covering the area of said wall ,or ceiling, each having marginal bevelled portions adapted when said units are juxtaposed in covering relation to said supporting means to provide junctional channels, supporting strips having in cross section a reentrant portion complementary to the channel and adapted to lie in the channel and be centered thereby and oppositely extending inwardly bent flanges, at the opposed margins of the strips, said flanges overlying the outer faces of the covering units and extending into contact with said faces to penetrate the front faces of adjacent units to provide a seal to eliminate breathing, and center clips having a plurality of radially extending arms shaped in cross section similarly to the cross sectional shape of the strip but slightly larger in dimension whereby said center clips may be fastened to the subjacent structure between the Junction of a plurality of said units with the radial arms of the clips overlying and supporting the strips, the edges of the arms of the clips forming a sealing line contact with the units to eliminate breathing at the space between the strips.

2. In a wall or ceiling covering construction, in combination with subjacent supporting means, covering means therefor comprising juxtaposed acoustical tile or the like having marginal bevels on their front faces, means for holding the tile in assembled position with their margins in abutting relation to form a continuous cover, said last named means comprising elongated strips, said means including portions lying in the beveled portions and also including sharp edged portions overlying and digging into the material of the front facial portions of the tiles to seal the same adjacent to and parallel with the Junetion of the bevels with the faces of the tiles, junction clips having web portions and a plurality of radially extending arms, said web portions having edge portions adapted to overlie and dig into the material of the face of the tile at the junction zones of the tiles at the bevelled channels formed by the marginal portions of the juxtaposed tiles and the radially extending arms overlying the ends of the elongated strips, and fastening means passing through said junction clips and through the junctional marginal portions of the tiles and engaging the subjacent fasteningmeans whereby firmly to hold the tiles in assembly relation to the subjacent fastening means.

3. In a wall or ceiling covering construction, in combination with subjacent supporting means, covering means therefor comprising juxtaposed acoustical tile or the like having marginal bevels on their front faces, means holding the tile in assembled position with their margins in abutting relation to form a continuous cover, said last named means comprising elongated strips having a portion complementary to and residing v aaaasse in the substantially V-shaped channels formed by the contiguous, marginal, beveled, facial portions of the tile, said. strips having portions engaging the facial portions of the tiles in lines parallel with the marginal edges whereby to prevent breathing, and junction clips en fll l over the extremities of said strips having portions engaging facial portions of the tiles and forming a sealing contact.

4. In a wall or ceiling covering construction, in combination with subjacent supporting means, covering means therefor comprising juxtaposed acoustical tile or the like having marginal bevels on their front faces, means holding the tile in assembled position with their margins in abutting relation to form a continuous cover, said last named means comprising elongated strips having a portion complementary to and residing in the substantially V-shaped channels formed by the contiguous, marginal, beveled, facial portions of the tile, strip fastening means engaging the strips and passing through the tiles at predetermined points throughout the assembly at the meeting edges of the tiles and engaging the subjacent supporting means whereby to hold the assembly firmly in position, said strips having laterally extending flange portions terminating in relatively sharp, inwardly projecting edges indentingly engaging facial portions of the tiles on opposite sides of the channel and parallel with the channel walls whereby to prevent breathing, junction clips having radially extending arms shaped in cross section like the cross sectional shape of the strips and adapted to overlie the ends of the strips, said overlying portions having laterally projecting edges likewise adapted indentingly to engage the facial walls of the tiles on the channel portions whereby to form a sealing engagement therewith to prevent breathing, and fastening means passing through the web portion of the junction clips and engaging the tiles and the subjacent supporting means for holding the strips, the junction means and the tiles all in assembled relation.

5. In a wall or ceiling structure for buildings in combination with subjacent supporting means therefor, means including a plurality of acoustical tile disposed with their margins in abutting relationship to provide a continuous covering, each margin being shaped on its outer surface to provide channels along each line of juncture, supporting strips having a portion lying in said channel and substantially complementary in shape to the cross sectional shape of said channels, each of said supporting strips having outwardly extending portions on either side of said complementary section overlying the outer face of each tile beyond its margin and supporting flange portions extending toward said tile surface and engaging continuously therein along its margin and sealing the juncture, and clip means at the extremities of each strip embracing said extremities and supporting the said strips in operative relation, the marginal portions of said clips overlying the facial portions of the tiles at the channels and making sealing contact therewith, and 'means attaching said clips to the subjacent support means, and holding said units in assembled relation.

6. In a wall or ceiling structure for buildings in combination with subiacent supporting means therefor, means including a plurality of acoustical tile disposed with their margins in abutting relationship to provide a continuous covering, each margin being formed on its outer surface to provide channels along each line ofjuncture, supporting strips having a. portion substantially complementary to said channels and residing therein, each of said supporting strips having outwardly extending portions on either side of said complementary section overlying the outer face of each tile beyond its margin, and supporting junction members overlying the ends of the strips and having edges overlying said tile surface and engaging continuously therein along said edges and sealing the juncture of said edges and said tile surface.

'7. In a wall or ceiling structure for buildings in combination with subjacent supporting means therefor, means including a plurality of acoustical tile disposed with their margins in abutting relationship to provide a continuou covering, each margin being bevelled on its outer surface to provide V-shaped channels along each line of juncture, supporting strips having a portion substantially complementary to said channels and residing therein, each of said supporting strips having outwardly extending portions on either side of said complementary section overlying the outer face of each tile beyond its margin and supporting web overlying the ends of the strips and extending outwardly and overlying said tile surfaces and engaging continuously therein along said edges and sealing the Junetume, and fastening means extending through the tiles at their margins and holding said strips operatively within said channels.

8. In a wall or ceiling covering construction, in combination with subiacent supporting means, covering means therefor comprising juxtaposed acoustical tile or the like having marginal bevels on their front faces, means holding the tile in assembled position with their margins in abutting relation to form a continuousv cover, said means including portions lying within the beveled portions and having portions overlying and tightly engaging front facial portions of the tiles adjacent the margins of the beveled portions, Junction clips having web portions and a plurality of radially extending arms, said web portions overlying and tightly engaging the faces of the tiles at the Junction zones of the beveled channels formed by the marginal portions of the juxtaposed tiles, and the radially extending arms overlying the elongated strips and tightly engaging the faces of the tiles, and fastening means passing through said junction clips and through the iunctional marginal portions of the tiles and engaging the subjacent fastening means firmly to hold the tiles in assembled relation to said subjacent fastening means.

- LEON F. URBAIN. 

